Tying and fastening device



'H. W. PATTERSON TYING AND FASTENING DEVICE Original Filed Sept. 1a. 1953 l] H "Ill I INVENTOR Hermon W. Patterson WQM Attornev United States Patent TYING AND FASTENING DEVICE Herman W. Patterson, 7209 W. 65th St.,

. Overland Park, Kans.

Original application Sept. 16, 1953, Ser. No. 380,449,

npw Patent No. 2,917,423, dated Dec. 15, 1959. Divided and this application Oct. 4, 1957, Ser. No. 688,301

'4 Claims. (Cl. 24-16) is a divisional application arising from my copending application Serial No. 380,449, filed September 16, 1953, now Patent No. 2,917,423, and entitled Tying and Fastening Device and Method of Making Same.

This invention relates to new and useful improvements in tying and fastening devices, and relates particularly to tying and fastening devices comprising an elongated loop of elastic material having an enlarged head at one end thereof adapted to be pulled through and secured in the bight portion at the opposite end of the loop after the loop has been wrapped about an object or objects to be secured.

The primary object of the present invention is the provision, in a device of the character described, of a head portion so formed as to be securely held or locked in the bight portion of the loop, so as to prevent accidental pulling out or dislodgment of the head from the bight of the loop.

Another object is the provision of a device of the character described wherein the head is formed with relatively movable parts which are operable by the tension of the bight of the loop when said bight is in operative engagement with said head to grip said bight portion firmly.

7 Other objects are simplicity and economy of construction, efliciency and dependability of operation, ease and convenience of use, and adaptability for use in a wide variety of applications.

With these objects in view, as well as other objects which will appear in the course of the specification, reference will be had to the drawing, wherein:

Fig. l is an elevational view of a tying and fastening device embodying the present invention.

Fig. 2 is an edge view of the device as shown in Fig. 1, and

Fig. 3 is an elevational view showing the device in operative position about an object to be fastened, with the head inserted through the bight of the loop.

Like reference numerals apply to similar parts throughout the several views, and the numeral 2 designates a narrow strip of rubber or other elastic material arranged to form an elongated band or loop 4. At one end of the loop, the elastic strip forms an open bight 6, and at the opposite end of the loop, the longitudinal reaches 12 thereof are secured respectively to the opposite ends of a spacer block 14, which is also elastic rubber or the like. The lines of connection between loop reaches 12 and spacer block 14 are designated at 16, and may be accomplished by cementing, vulcanizing, or any other suitable process.

Also attached to the loop in alignment with spacer block 14 is a head 8 comprising a pair of flat knobs 10 disposed in the plane of the loop and respectively at the distal sides of loop reaches 12. These knobs may conveniently be formed by extending each reach 12 of the loop and coiling the extended portions into a tightly wound spiral, the convolutions thereof being secured together by cementing, vulcanizing or other suitable procspacer block 14 and terminate at or slightly below said spacer block, for a'purpose which will appear.

In use, the loop 4is tensioned and passed around an object or objects B to be secured, the head 8 being pulled through bight 6 of the loop, as shown in Fig. 3. The object B may be, for example, the stalks of a bundle or bunch of vegetables to be fastened together for marketing. Other exemplary uses are to secure vines or the like to wires, lattices or other supporting structures, or to secure a ladys hair in the ponytail style of hairdress. The applications and uses of my devices are too numerous to list, and no limitation is intended by the examples given.

The bight portion 6 of the loop passes around both of the reaches 12 of the loop just below spacer block 14, and engages in both of notches 18, being urged into the upper extremeties of said notches by the tension of the band. This engagement tends to prevent the head from turning so that its plane corresponds to the opening between the reaches 12 of the loop, in which position it could easily pull through the bight 6 by accident. Also, since the head is enlarged and substantially planar, it tends to lie flat against the bundle B of objects secured, or to engage said bundle. This further tends to prevent rotation of said head to a position as described above where it could pull through the bight.

As seen in Fig. 3, the tension'of bight 6 of the loop where it passes around the reaches 12 of the loop, forces said reaches together just below spacer block 14. This causes the spacer block 14 to bend or flex yieldably as shown, forcing the knobs 10 to move downwardly and inwardly to press firmly against bight portion 6 of the loop, gripping said bight portion tightly to further prevent it from being easily disengaged from the head. The upper or closed ends of notches 18 must as previously discribed be disposed at or below the lower edge of spacer 14. If they extend so far as to be disposed directly at opposite sides of the spacer, said spacer would be placed under direct compression, rather than bending or flexing as described. On the other hand, extending said notches as closely adjacent the lower edge of the spacer as is consistent with the proper flexing thereof provides the greatest possible angular movement of the knobs, and hence the greatest possible gripping force on bight 6.

It is desirable also, in order to provide still greater gripping force of the knobs on bight 6, that knobs 10 be relatively hard or rigid as compared to loop 4 and spacer 14, since the gripping force will not then be weakened by the yieldability of the knobs themselves. This hardening may be accomplished in the device as shown by cementing the convolutions of the knobs with a cement capable of hardening the adjacent rubber, or by introducing a hardening agent between the convolutions prior to vulcanizing. If the device is produced by extrusion, the hardening agent could be injected into those portions of the extrusion die producing the knobs, and if the knobs are attached as separate elements, the material used therefor could be initially harder than that used for the loop and spacer.

While I have shown and described a specific embodiment of my invention, it will be apparent that many minor changes of structure and operation could be made F I Patented S P without departing from the spirit of the invention as defined by the scope of the appended claims.

What I claim as new and desire to protect by Letters Patent is:

1. A-tying and fastening device comprising a stripof 5 elastic material, a spacer block also of elastic material, said block being disposed between and connected to the end portions of said strip whereby to form an elongated loop and whereby the opposite reaches of said strip are spaced apart adjacent said block, and a head comprising 10 a pair of knobs disposed respectively at distal sides of said loop reaches at opposite sides of said spaced block, a notch being defined between each of said knobs and the adjacent portion of the associated reach of said elastic strip, each of said notches being taperingly nar- 15 rowed toward the end-of said loop joined by said spacer block, and terminating adjacent the edge of said spacer block closestto the opposite end of said loop.

2. A tying and fastening'device as recited in claim 1 References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS' 1,161,297 Faust Nov. 23,1915

2,648,879 Patterson Aug; 18,-1953 2,772,469 Staller et a1. Dec. 4, 1956 FOREIGN PATENTS 394,334 Great Britain June21, 1933 

